BBC Studios producing a 5-episode Margaret Thatcher documentary series to mark 40 years since Britain's first female prime minister.

BBC Studios will be producing a new 5-episode documentary series, tentatively entitled Thatcher, on Margaret Thatcher to mark the 40 year anniversary since Britain got its first first female prime minister.

Thatcher will not just chart Margaret Thatcher's rise and fall but also the social history, upheaval and chance of modern Britain and the British society during her tenure as prime minister.

Archive footage from the time will provide viewers with a personal glimpse of the politician and illustrate some of the most important formative events in Britain's recent past.

Thatcher is produced by BBC Studios' The Documentary Unit.

"Margaret Thatcher defined her age like no other leader since the war," says the BBC in a statement. "This series promises to be not just the story of her extraordinary political journey, but also an exploration of the age that produced so much of the world we live in today."

Aysha Rafaele, creative director for The Documentary Unit at BBC Studios, says "Whether we love it or hate it we all live in a world created by Margaret Thatcher. This new series will explore how the ideology that she espoused and embodied came to be the defining narrative of the last 40 years and will take a forensic look at her impact and legacy on all corners and all aspects of British life."

Margaret Thatcher funeral live on Sky News on Wednesday 17 April from 10:00 from St Paul's Cathedral.

Sky News (DStv 402) will be bringing South African viewers live funeral coverage of Margaret Thatcher on Wednesday 17 April from 10:00 (South African time) from St Paul's Cathedral.

Sky News has extensive coverage plans  for the funeral of Baroness Thatcher who died last week and was Britain's first female prime minister.

Anna Botting and Dermot Murnaghan will anchor Sky News' main coverage of Margaret Thatcher's funeral on Wednesday from 10:00 to 15:00 in a live five hour special broadcast.

The live funeral coverage will begin on Wednesday with the funeral procession leaving the Palace of Westminster to the conclusion of the service at St Paul's Cathedral.

Coverage will start at 07:00 on Wednesday already with Eamonn Holmes presenting live from St Paul's.

Colin Brazier and Gillian Joseph will present from along the route, and Alastair Bruce, Sky News' Royal, Religious and National Events commentator, will be on hand throughout the day with expert commentary of the protocol of the occasion.

Sky News' coverage will be uninterrupted with ad breaks between 11:00 and 13:00 during the procession and service. Lorna Dunkley will continue the coverage at 15:00, followed by Jeremy Thompson at 18:00 from the live presentation point at St Paul's.

The Sky News teams will be reporting from positions across the British capital and the United Kingdom throughout the day. Adam Boulton, Political Editor, will be presenting the view from Westminster, David Blevins, Ireland Correspondent, will be reporting live from Belfast and David Crabtree will be reporting from Thatcher's hometown of Grantham with further live coverage across the UK from Brixton, Glasgow and Downing Street.

On Wednesday Sky News will cover Margaret Thatcher's funeral with stories from the crowds and in-depth analysis of her key achievements and controversial policies and reaction from around the world.

07:00 – Sunrise with Eamonn Holmes presenting live from St Paul's Cathedral
08:00 – Colin Brazier from Trafalgar Square and Gillian Joseph from St Clement Danes
10:00 – 15:00 – Dermot Murnaghan from St Paul's and Anna Botting from Poets' Corner in Westminster
15:00 – 18:00 – Lorna Dunkley from St Paul's
18:00 – 20:00 – Jeremy Thompson from St Paul's

Sky News to stay with rolling coverage today following the news of the death of Margaret Thatcher.

Following the news of the death of Margaret Thatcher today Sky News (DStv 402) tells me that the British 24-hour news channel will be staying with rolling news and breaking and developing news coverage of the story for the whole day.

Sky News tells me there will be no documentaries on Sky News today about Margaret Thatcher or her legacy, but Sky News anchor Jeremy Thompson will be in for rolling coverage.

Here is what Sky News tells me about the coverage plans which viewers in South African can follow today on the news channel:

Adam Boulton will head up the TV coverage until 16:00 (South African time).

The line-up on Sky News thereafter:
16:00 Jeremy Thompson and Gillian Joseph
18:00 Jeremy Thompson
20:00 Jeff Randall
21:00 Andrew Wilson onwards

Margaret Thatcher has died - watch Sky News and get an inkling of what will happen in South Africa on TV when a statesman passes away.

Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister, has died.

Watch Sky News today to get an indication of what will happen on South African television and television news media as seen here, when a certain elderly statesman in South African passes away.

Here is Sky News' rolling news coverage plans for today.